Development Officer - Intern

IIRR is one of the world’s leading rural development NGOs. Founded in 1960, IIRR’s programs have impacted more than 62 million rural lives across five continents. The organization’s programs address the health, education, and environmental conditions of rural communities and prioritizes the delivery of sustainable and scalable solutions that empower people to improve their lives and livelihoods. IIRR maintains offices in Africa, Asia, and North America.    

IIRR is looking for intelligent, strategic, and resourceful thinkers to help the organization expand and strengthen its fundraising efforts. Development Officer Interns will work under the direction of the Director of Global Operations.  

This is an unpaid internship but available for class credits. We have two internship models:  

(i) full-time - requires a 5 days (40 hours) a week commitment of 3 months   

(ii) part-time - required 3 to 4 days (24 hours) a week commitment of 6 months. 

Please note that internship hours must be scheduled during regular New York/East Coast business hours. 

Responsibilities may include one or more of the following:  

• Provide data collection and research including tracking all forms of funding sources
• Develop letters, fact sheets, and other informational materials about IIRR and its projects and programs for potential donors
• Proofread and edit letters of intent and grant proposals
• Assist with updating and maintaining IIRR donor database
• Research potential major donor prospects and assist with donor outreach and cultivation
• Research leads for potential donors and creating donor profiles
• Drafting communications such as new donor mailings, appeals, and thank you letters
• Maintain online donation portals and keep up to date
• Support in grant proposals either through research and writing
• Assist other departments and interns accomplish tasks as needed

 Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline (completed prior to internship start date)
• Well-organized, reliable, and self-motivated  
• Helpful and responsive (e.g., when dealing with ad-hoc requests for providing support)
• Resourceful, creative, who enjoys problem-solving 
• Impeccable writing skills with meticulous attention to detail and organizational skills 
• Curiosity, creativity, and fearlessness in contributing new and bold ideas 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills 
• Ability to meet deadlines and effectively multi-task 
• A willingness to fail fast and forward while respecting and valuing input from a global and diverse team 
• Ability and willingness to work in a startup culture that may require fluidity in roles from week to week  
• Intermediate experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Applications 
• Responsive to manager’s feedback, ability to take direction and execute work independently with minimal oversight in a remote working environment
• Passionate about making a positive difference

Application Instructions:

Submit resume/CV, cover letter (indicating preference for part-time or full-time placement), and contact information for three references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

No calls, please. If you have not received a response from us in two weeks, you should assume that your application was not successful on this occasion.